Janet Holland, Director of Vascular Access Management for DaVita Inc., gave a keynote speech during the 3rd St. George's Hospital Vascular Access Annual Meeting in London, England. The event was held at the Royal College of Surgeons and Holland was one of three invitees from the United States. Under Holland's guidance, DaVita has led the U.S. in vascular access management. According to the latest government data, DaVita exceeds national fistula placement averages by 15%, with over 59% of patients using fistulas(1). This achievement is significant because DaVita serves more than 1-in-4 dialysis patients in America -- more than 100,000 people.

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Studies show that patients who meet all four of the CMS Clinical Performance Measures achieve the lowest mortality. DaVita's 2006 gross mortality rate of 17.9% compares very favorably to the latest United States Renal Data System (USRDS) Annual Data Report, which shows an unadjusted national average of 23% in 2004(2). Put another way, the risk of mortality faced by patients dialyzed at DaVita facilities may be as much as 22% lower than the national average.

Holland was the only U.S. nurse invited to present during the one-day symposium on vascular access monitoring. Her lecture, titled The ABCs of Physical Exams for Optimum Hemodialysis Vascular Access, discussed the physical aspects to look, listen and feel for when inspecting a patient's vascular access. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, the surgeon, facility staff and nephrology team work together to provide the best access outcomes for patients during their dialysis treatments. While the surgeons are responsible for creating and maintaining the access, the facility staff and nephrology team are critical in the long-term success of the access. The physical exam for vascular access takes less than one minute -- Holland and other DaVita healthcare professionals agree this one minute examination is the key to overall quality improvement in patient care.

"The need for vascular access improvement is an international one," explained Holland. "DaVita has had an incredible amount of success in its vascular access initiatives, but we are always striving to improve our methods. This opportunity to share and learn from the vascular access management of other countries is essential to continuing the highest quality treatment of our patients."

Holland's presentation discussed the 2006 vascular access guidelines and the importance of checking for access maturation before the first cannulation. Key points addressed were to assess the patient and watch for redness, edema, bruising, asymmetry or drainage, changes in skin color, temperature or signs of numbness. Comparing these symptoms to their opposite extremity is also important in determining abnormalities.

DaVita CEO Kent Thiry stated, "Janet has been a thoughtful, dedicated citizen of the kidney care community for years. We are very proud to see her receive this level of recognition for her work."

  (1) Fistula First National Vascular Access Improvement Initiative Website
      (http://www.fistulafirst.org/), adjusted to exclude DVA from the
      national average; DaVita data is the average of reported DaVita and
      Gambro Healthcare data.
  (2) Per the 2006 USRDS Annual Report as reported for 2004.

  About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500® company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, providing dialysis services and education for patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita manages over 1,300 outpatient facilities and acute units in over 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 103,000 patients. For more information please visit http://www.davita.com/.

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.